Sheet-folding machine



1936- F. J. CHRISTMAN SHEET FOLDINGMACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 21, 1955 Pain Tl Ehfisim an 84 W4 ozww Feb. 18, 1936. P. J. CHRISTMAN SHEET FOLDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 21, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Peierflfihrisim an War/WW Patented Feb. 18, 1936 iJNirso sm'rss @ATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

This invention pertains to sheet-folding machines, and more particularly to those of the rotary type, such as disclosed in United States Letters Patents Nos. 1,481,252, 1,566,079, and

Heretofore, in sheet-folding machines of the type to which the present invention pertains, it has been customary to utilize only two opposed forming plates, which require two parent or jumbo rolls, one for supplying the web of paper to each forming plate. Obviously, production of such machines is limited to two simultaneous forming operations, and two parent rolls must be changed when the supply of paper becomes exhausted. To perform four simultaneous folding operations two such machines would be required, necessitating four changes of the parent rolls. Also, the machines of the foregoing type require ironing rolls for creasing the sheets on the folding rolls.

The present invention has primarily for its object to provide a sheet-folding machine of the rotary type, which requires only two parent rolls, and doubles the production over conventional machines, at the same time eliminating the necessity of ironing rolls.

Incidental to the foregoing, a more specific object of the invention resides in the provision of a sheet-folding machine comprising two or more sets of twin forming plates, either opposed or arranged in tandem position, and cooperating with a pair of carrier cylinders from which the sheets are picked off by folding rolls cooperating with each other, to crease the folded sheets and deliver the same to a common conveyor, from which they are transferred to a magazine by a single packer.

Another object resides in the provision of a plurality of forming plates for receiving the web of paper from a single parent roll, in combination with means for slitting the paper into separate Webs, one for each forming plate.

A further object is to provide for folding sheets of various sizes by means of suction holders on the carrier cylinders to permit predetermined slippage of the sheets on the cylinders effected by the differential speed of the pull rolls and carrier cylinders.

A still further object resides in the provision of a common conveyor for both sets of folding rolls, and comprising belts trained over the folding rolls for positively gripping and removing the folded sheets therefrom and delivering the same to a packer for stacking in a magazine.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the herein disclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is illustrated one complete example of the physical embodiment of the present invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a fragmentary, transverse section through a forming mechanism embodying the present invention, the frame and driving mechanism for the various elements being eliminated for the purpose of simplicity.

Figure 2 is a plan view, with parts broken away to more clearly illustrate the structural arrangement, and

Figure 3 is a more or less diagrammatic view of the folding rolls illustrating the manner of simultaneously folding and creasing independent sheets of paper.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the numeral I designates the slitting rolls, each of which receives a web of paper P taken from a jumbo or parent roll (not shown). Cooperating with the slitting roll is a rotary slitter 2, which separates the Web of paper P into a plurality of individual webs 3, each of which passes over one of the forming plates 4.

As illustrated in the drawings, two sets of twin forming plates are employed, the plates of each set being arranged side by side to receive the separated webs 3. The arrangement of the sets of forming rolls may be varied, as indicated in Figure 2, wherein the plates are shown in full lines in opposed relation, while a tandem position is, indicated in dot and dash lines. However, particular attention is directed to the fact that regardless of the arrangement of the sets of forming rolls, each set must be supplied from a single parent roll, the web of which is slit to provide a separate web for each plate in the set.

The webs 3 are drawn over the individual forming plates by conventional pull rolls 5, positioned below the lower ends of the forming plates, and from the pull rolls the folded web from each forming plate is trained over a carrier cylinder 6, the carrier cylinders being arranged adjacent 1 0 each other in parallel relation, and one cylinder serving to receive the folded webs from the longitudinally alined forming plates, whether or not the same be in opposed relation or arranged in tandem.

As best shown in Figure 1, the carriers are provided with cylindrical cutting blades I, which cooperate with stationary shear bars 8 to sever the longitudinally folded web into sheets 9 of desired length. While the paper may be held on the carrier cylinders in various conventional Ways, in the preferred form of the invention the cylinders are provided with longitudinal pockets ID in which the perforated suction tubes II are positioned. The suction tubes II are arranged at the rear of the cutting blades 1, and therefore serve to hold both the web and severed sheets on the carrier roll, and at the same time permit slippage of the webs on the carrier rolls in the event that the carrier rolls are driven at a faster speed than the pull rolls, this being a characteristic of suction holding means.

Cooperating with each carrier cylinder is a pick-off or folding roll I2, which may be of any conventional type, although in the preferred form of the invention suction rolls are employed. The folding rolls I2 are arranged in parallel engaged relation, and not only effect the transverse folding operation of the sheet 9, but also serve to simultaneously crease the folds of the sheets taken from each carrier cylinder. A common conveyor C strips the folded sheets from the rolls I 2, and delivers them to a position to be engaged by an oscillating packer I3, which stacks them into a magazine I4. As best shown in Figure 1, the conveyor C comprises, belts I5 trained over the rolls I2 and idlers I6, the belts serving to strip the folded sheets from the rolls I2 and deliver the same to the belts I! which are also trained over the idlers I6 and pulleys I8, the latter being positioned below the bottom of the magazine, which supports the completed folded sheet in that position indicated by the dot and dash line S in Figure 1, from which it is removed by the packer I3.

From the foregoing explanation, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, the operation of the invention will be apparent, in that as the web P from the jumbo or parent roll passes over the slitting roll I, the same is severed into separate webs by the rotary slitter 2, and each web is then folded longitudinally as it passes over its forming plate, the web being drawn over the forming plates by the pull rolls 5. The longitudinally folded web from each forming plate is then gripped by one of the suction tubes provided in the carrier rolls, and rotated until the cutting blade I engages the shear bar 8, which transversely severs the longitudinally folded web into a sheet of the desired length. The folded sheets are then carried around until they are engaged by the perforations I2 formed in the suction rolls, at which time the suction in the tubes II is broken and the sheets are picked off of the rolls of the carrier cylinders and passed between the opposed folding rolls I2, as best shown in Figure 3, which effects both transverse folding and simultaneous creasing of the sheets taken from both carrier rolls. The folded sheets are then stripped from the rolls I2 by the belts I5, and delivered to that position by the belts I! from which they are removed and stacked in the magazine I4 by the packer I3. The diameter of the carrier cylinders is such as to normally sever the folded webs into sheets of maximum length, which is the distance between the opposed cutting blades 1. However when it is desired to fold a shorter sheet, the speed of rotation of the carrier cylinders is stepped up with relation to that of the pull rolls, causing a predetermined slippage of the folded webs on the carrier cylinders, thereby reducing the length of the severed sheets. Likewise, the relative position of the carrier cylinders and the suction openings I2 of the folding rolls may be varied to fold the severed sheets transversely at any predetermined point.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that a comparatively simple and effective sheet-folding machine has been devised, which not only has a capacity of double that of conventional machines, but also eliminates the use of auxiliary creasing rolls, and requires no more time for changing the parent rolls than is now required for machines of half the capacity. In connection with the foregoing, an important advantage of the present invention results from the belt stripper and conveyor, which positively engages the folded sheets and delivers them to the packer for uniform, alined stacking in the magazine.

A still further advantage in transversely alining a pair of forming plates, and slitting the parent web to provide a separate web for each plate, results from the fact that it is only necessary to utilize and change one parent roll, whereas heretofore two parent rolls have been required for the longitudinally alined forming plates, necessitating stopping the machine for a considerable loss of time, and at the same time it required a machine of sufficient length to accommodate two webs of paper. Thus it will be seen that the foregoing feature may be employed to advantage in a two-fold machine, as well as in a four-fold machine.

I claim:--

1. In a sheet-folding machine, means for slitting a web of paper longitudinally to provide separate webs, a pair of transversely alined forming plates for longitudinally folding said webs, a pair of pull rolls positioned below each forming plate,

carrier cylinders for receiving the longitudinally folding rolls cooperating with each other to:

simultaneously crease the folded sheets transversely.

2. In a sheet-folding machine, means for slitting a web of paper longitudinally to provide separate webs, a pair of transversely alined forming plates for longitudinally folding said webs, a pair of pull rolls positioned below each forming plate, a carrier cylinder for receiving the longitudinally folded web from each forming plate, means for transversely severing the folded webs on the carrier cylinders into sheets, a folding roll for removing sheets from each carrier cylinder, said folding rolls cooperating with each other to simultaneously crease the folded sheets transversely, common means for delivering sheets from the folding rolls, and means for stacking the folded sheets in a magazine.

3. In a sheet-folding machine, means for slitting a web of paper longitudinally to provide separate webs, a pair of transversely alined forming plates for longitudinally folding said Webs, a pair of pull rolls positioned below each forming plate, a carrier cylinder for receiving the longitudinally folded webs from each pair of pull rolls, means for transversely severing the folded webs on the carrier cylinders into sheets, a folding roll for removing sheets from each carrier cylinder, said folding rolls cooperating with each other to simultaneously crease the folded sheets, and common means comprising gripping belts passing over the folding rolls for engaging the sheets and delivering the same from the folding rolls to a stacker.

4. In a sheet-folding machine, two pairs of plates, the plates of each pair being transversely alined with each other and longitudinally alined with the plates of the adjacent pair, means associated with each pair of forming plates for slitting a web of paper longitudinally to provide a separate web for each plate, a pair of pull rolls positioned below each set of longitudinally alined forming plates, a carrier cylinder for receiving the webs from each pair of pull rolls, means for transversely severing the folded webs on the carrier cylinders into sheets, and a folding roll for removing sheets from each carrier cylinder, said folding rolls cooperating with each other to simultaneously crease the folded sheets.

5. In a sheet-folding machine, two pairs of plates, the plates of each pair being transversely alined with each other and longitudinally alined with the plates of the adjacent pair, means associated with each pair of forming plates for slitting a web of paper longitudinally to provide a separate web for each plate, a pair of pull rolls positioned below each set of longitudinally alined forming plates, a carrier cylinder for receiving the webs from each pair of pull rolls, means for transversely severing the folded webs on the carrier cylinders into sheets, a folding roll for removing sheets from each carrier cylinder, said folding rolls cooperating with each other to simultaneously crease the sheets transversely, common means for delivering sheets from the folding rolls, and means for stacking the folded sheets in a magazine.

6. In a sheet-folding machine, two pairs of plates, the plates of each pair being transversely alined with each other and longitudinally alined with the plates of the adjacent pair, means associated with each pair of forming plates for slitting a web of paper longitudinally to provide a separate web for each plate, a pair of pull rolls positioned below each set of longitudinally alined forming plates, a carrier cylinder for receiving the webs from each pair of pull rolls, means for transversely severing the folded webs on the carrier cylinders into sheets, a folding roll for removing sheets from each carrier cylinder, said folding rolls cooperating with each other to simultaneously crease the sheets transversely, common means for delivering the sheets from the folding rolls comprising gripping belts for engaging the folded sheets, and a packer for removing the folded sheets from the gripping belts and stacking the same in a magazine.

'7. In a sheet-folding machine, a forming plate, a pair of pull rolls positioned below said forming plate, a carrier cylinder positioned below the pull rolls, suction means for holding the longitudinally folded web on the carrier cylinder to permit slippage of the web on the carrier cylinder when the same is rotated at a greater speed than the pull rolls, means for transversely severing the web on the carrier cylinder, and means for folding and removing the severed sheets from the carrier cylinder.

8. In a sheet-folding machine, two pairs of plates, the plates of each pair being transversely alined with each other and longitudinally alined with the plates of the adjacent pair, means associated with each pair of forming plates for slitting a web of paper longitudinally to provide a separate web for each plate, a. pair of pull rolls positioned below each set of longitudinally alined forming plates, a carrier cylinder for receiving the webs from each pair of pull rolls, a transverse cutter carried by each of the carrier cylinders, stationary means cooperating with said cutters for transversely severing the folded webs on said cylinder, and a folding roll for removing sheets from each carrier cylinder, said folding rolls cooperating with each other to simultaneously crease the sheets.

9. In a sheet-folding machine, two pairs of plates, the plates of each pair being transversely alined with each other and longitudinally alined with the plates of the adjacent pair, means associated with each pair of forming plates for slitting a web of paper longitudinally to provide a separate web for each plate, a pair of pull rolls positioned below each set of longitudinally alined forming plates, a carrier cylinder for receiving the webs from each pair of pull rolls, suction means carried by said carrier cylinders for folding the longitudinally folded webs on the carrier cylinder to permit slippage of the webs on the same when the carrier cylinders are rotated at a greater speed than the pull rolls, means for transversely severing the folded webs on the carrier cylinders into sheets, and a folding roll for removing sheets from each carrier cylinder, said folding rolls cooperating with each other to simultaneously crease the folded sheets.

10. In a. sheet-folding machine, two pairs of plates, the plates of each pair being transversely alined with each other and longitudinally alined with the plates of the adjacent pair, means associated with each pair of forming plates for slitting a Web of paper longitudinally to provide a separate web for each plate, a pair of pull rolls positioned below each set of longitudinally alined forming plates, a carrier cylinder for receiving the webs from each pair of pull rolls, a transverse cutter carried by each of said cylinders, suction means for holding the longitudinally folded webs on the carrier cylinders to. permit slippage of the webs when the carrier cylinder is rotated at a greater speed than the pull rolls, stationary 0 means cooperating with said cutters for transversely severing the folded webs on said cylinders, and a folding roll for removing the sheets from each carrier cylinder, said folding rolls cooperating with each other to simultaneously crease the folded sheets.

11. In a sheet-folding machine, two pairs of plates, the plates of each pair being transversely alined with each other and longitudinally alined with the plates of the adjacent pair, means associated With each pair of forming plates for slitting a web of paper longitudinally to provide a separate web for each plate, a pair of pull rolls positioned below each set of longitudinally alined forming plates, a carrier cylinder for receiving the webs from each pair of pull rolls, suction means for holding the longitudinally folded webs on the carrier cylinders to permit slippage of the Webs when the cylinder is rotated at a greater speed than the pull rolls, cutting means carried by each of said carrier cylinders, stationary means cooperating with said cutting means for transversely severing the folded webs on said cylinders, a roll for transversely folding and removing sheets from each of the carrier cylinders, delivery means for conveying the sheets from the folding rolls into position to be engaged by a stacker.

12. In a sheet-folding machine, two pairs of plates, the plates of each pair being transversely alined with each other and longitudinally alined with the plates of the adjacent pair, means associated with each pair of forming plates for slitting a web of paper longitudinally to provide a separate web for each plate, a pair of pull rolls positioned below each set of longitudinally alined forming plates, a carrier cylinder for receiving the webs from each pair of pull rolls, suction means for holding the longitudinally folded webs on the carrier cylinders to permit slippage of the webs when the cylinders are rotated at a greater speed than the pull rolls, a transverse cutter carried by each of said carrier cylinders, stationary means cooperating with said cutters for transversely severing the folded webs on said cylinders, a suction roll for transversely folding and removing sheets from each of the carrier cylinders, said rolls cooperating with each other to simultaneously crease the folded sheets, belts trained over each of said rolls for gripping and delivering the sheets from said rolls, and an oscillating packer for removing the folded sheets from said belts and stacking the same in a magazine.

PETER J. CHRIS'I'll/IAN. 

